Aria.
"Aria there's a call for you on line 4" my co-worker said, peeking his head into my office. I picked the phone up and hit line 4, "Aria Patterson, how may I help you?" I beamed, "Aria, it's Ayva, I need to get in touch with Noelle." My best friend's little sister spoke through the phone, causing me to roll my eyes on the other line.
My voice chilled, "I don't-" "Save that shit, Aria. She been your best friend since y'all was kids, I know for sure you know where she at." She cut me off. Me and Ayva have never gotten along, and the only reason why I hold my tongue when it comes to her is because she's my best friend's sister. If she had have been anyone else, I'd have given her a piece of my mind a longgg time ago.
"What exactly do you want me to tell her?" I rolled my eyes again, finally dropping the coverup. She'd never know where Noelle was at, that was one thing I was willing to take to the grave if I had to. Ayva has an undiagnosed case of impostor syndrome, I'm sure of it. Her obsession with being Noelle is quite scary if you ask me.
I understand looking up to your older siblings but she's always been the type of take it too far. The two year age gap makes it even worse. I'll never forget the time Ayva got caught With Noelle's ex in high school. What made it worse with her sister was the fact that her parents are strict and Noelle was never really able to do anything or go anywhere without Ayva having to tag along.
"I'm getting married." she blurted. "If my sister isn't at my wedding ima lose my shit. She's one of the few people in my family I actually want there. It's bad enough she didn't get to meet him when we first got together, she left without telling nobody where or why, how does she just expect us to not wonder how she is or why she left?" She asked, her voice cracking.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel bad for Ayva right now, which has never happened before, if I might add. I couldn't imagine how she feels. Noelle is like the sister I've always wanted, I couldn't imagine if I didn't know where she was. Finding out she had a child would have been the icing on the "fuck you" cake for me. Lucky enough for me, I'm not Ayva and I know, sucks for her, though.
"I need you to mail off the invitation to her. I don't know why she left, but please tell her that I would love it if she could make it" Ayva added. I sighed softly through the phone, "Okay, if you bring it to my office I can mail it off for you" I replied somberly, giving in.
"I'm coming up right now" she spoke before hanging up. The manipulative bitch was waiting outside the whole time, knowing I'd give in. So sly. I rolled my eyes and made a sticky note to remind myself to call Noelle and let her know to be on the look out. She was either gonna be pissed at me or be extremely happy for her sister, either way, I was gonna let her find out what Ayva wanted to tell her on her own by looking at the invitation for herself.
—————————
Noelle.
"Save the date, Mr. And Mrs. Fletcher. September 17th, 2023." I repeated into the phone to my best friend. "She's really getting married?" I asked softly, staring at the gold white and pink wedding invitation. Almost exactly a week away from today. "Are you gonna come visit? See everyone before you just bring Lani the day of the wedding?" Aria asked.
I looked over to my sleeping daughter who was nuzzled up in the coroner of our sectional couch, a pink fluffy blanket covering her. She seemed to have enjoyed her last minute mental health day. A bundle of nerves formed in my stomach in a matter of mere seconds, "I feel like I'm gonna throw up" I replied.
"You can come for the weekend, stay with me, and take a early morning flight back on Monday, spend the day with Lani and let her fully take in everyone. Let her meet everyone and be able to physically put faces to the names that she's heard so much about" she negotiated.
I washed the nausea away by taking a small sip of my wine. I'd stopped drinking after I found out I was pregnant with Leilani and haven't been drunk since. Alcohol was the reason why I was in my current situation now.
Plus I don't want Lani to drink, if I'm being honest. I don't think she should be exposed to the things I was exposed to at her age, including seeing her parent drinking. It's what sparked the curiosities within me. I'd rather her ask me, and me to tell her the truth rather than her finding out for herself, by herself the way I did.
Now, if she turns 21 and decides that drinking is something she wants to do, then I can't dictate that for her, but I'd rather her know the consequences now than later and allow her to make that decision for herself. Alcoholism runs deep in my family, I refuse to let it touch my child, cause it almost had me until I had her.
"I guess now is as good a time as any. I'm gonna book us a round trip flight." I compromised. I opened my laptop and opened google. I turned my head, my best friend still on FaceTime with me, and looked at my sleeping child.
Was I really ready for my family to meet her? Absolutely not. But was I going to miss my only little sister's wedding? Again, absolutely not. I'm glad to see that she continued to live her life even after I left. I was beginning to be scared for her, thinking she would never come into being her own person.
It sucks that I had to leave in order for her to do that, but it worked, and that's all that matters. I wasn't exactly excited to see my parents cause I know they're gonna have so much to say about me having a child out of wedlock, and I'm sure they're gonna ask where her father is, but I wasn't exactly keen on lying now that I have so much of an example to set with my daughter. Keith has told me a few times over the past years that they're sober but I won't believe it until I see it, they always "get sober" and it only lasts for a few months at a time.
"Hey, don't worry. If shit doesn't go over smoothly, you still have me and San Francisco. You have an escape, you don't have to do, stay, or go, where you don't want to." Aria comforted me. "And they're gonna love Leilani just as much as you do, I promise." She said in complete confidence in a gentle voice. She knew exactly what I was thinking 90% of the time, and that's why she's my best friend. I booked our flight and packed us one carry on bag of clothes and other essentials.
Our flight was at noon tomorrow. I wouldn't dare book the earliest flight knowing how my child was about having to get up earlier than 9am. I had to say a quick prayer to cleanse my nerves about seeing my family for the first time in a while.
I prayed to God that my parents would be accepting of me and my child. If all fails, I can book an earlier flight to come back to San Francisco and literally never see them again. I'd lose my mind if my child was exposed to my parents judgment and hatred the way that I was growing up.
————————
"Leilani, Good morning baby" I spoke softly, gently caressing my daughters head. Her eyes fluttered open and she let out a yawn and a small smile spread across her face as she stretched out her tiny body, her light pink chipped nail polish evident as she balled her hands into fists, arms in the air.
The stretch must have been good cause she let out a small groan before sitting up, her light purple blanket sitting across her lap as we both giggled. "We're gonna get on an airplane today and you're finally gonna meet your grandma, grandpa and your aunt Ayva" I spoke. She looked me in my eyes and I could see hers light up.
She knew that she had an aunt and grandparents on my side, even great grandparents. I always told her the good stories, never the bad just cause she's too young to understand right now, but she's also seen pictures and videos of them.
I always told her that when the time is right, she'd meet them and that they would love her. "We're also gonna stay with Auntie Aria, and you'll be able to see boomer again" I beamed, knowing how much she loved Aria's cat when she would come spend a week or so with us once a month, and Aria in general. She had her own room at her new house and everything.
She jumped up in excitement, throwing her arms around me, "I'm so happy" she giggled in excitement. From early on, as soon as she could talk, I taught Lani all her emotions and how to express what she was feeling, so when she put the things that I taught her into words, in every day situations, it warmed my heart.
I'm genuinely hoping that my family doesn't make my child feel like an outcast the way they did me and that this wedding goes as smoothly as Ayva wants it so that we can get back home and continue with our regular scheduled programming.